My introduction to Edgar Allan Poe was, like I'm sure for many, The Raven. I think many of us read the gloomy poem in school. I don't remember reading any of his other works. College came along and The Tale-Tell Heart was required reading for a Literature course I was attending.

I immensely enjoyed the short story, and that was when I opened the dark wooden cellar door that was located in the cob-webbed, cavernous, moldy dungeon that is the world of Edgar Allan Poe.

This book holds 17 of some of the best tales that Poe has to offer, and some that for me, missed the mark. I don't want to rate each story individually because I feel it might deter others from reading those tales, and I believe everyone should go into this book with an open mind.

Out of the 17 tales, I found 11 of them to be great and entertaining. Some of them were very dark and macabre. Some, surprisingly, had a humorous tinge to it, albeit a dark comical aspect. There are two stories included that can be listed as a "whodunit", or a detective tale. Those were certainly something! I had no idea Poe had dipped into that genre.

I highly recommend reading this if you come across it. It was a wonderful introduction to Poe's short, glum tales. I look forward to reading more of his others and also delving into his poetry. ( )